Friday
"It's game day!" Andy yelled as she barreled through the halls towards Theo, who was at her locker. She closed her locker and smiled at the happy girl. She put her arm around her best friends shoulders. Theo smiled at her best friend.
"It is indeed." Theo said. The two walked to class happily. When they reached their classroom, the two walked in and took their seats in the back.
"Does something in the air seem different?" Andy asks her best friend. She pulled her notebook out and started doodling.
"I don't know. Maybe you're just hyped up for our game tonight and then the national team game tomorrow." Theo said pulling her own notebook out and doodling in hers as well. Before either could make another comment, their teacher walked in and started class.
*****
"I'm just saying, if you like it and you think it tastes good, then why not right?" Theo said as she and Andy walked to the locker room. Andy chuckled at her best friend, shaking her head.
"I agree." Andy said. "Pineapple on pizza is totally your choice and people like it on pizza and people don't." She glanced at her friend, whom she's know for forever and stared just a little bit too long.
"Exactly!" Theo said, shaking her hands in the air, bringing Andy out of her trance. The two girls walked into the locker room.
"Morgan! Heath!" Their coach said. "Office please!" Andy and Theo looked at each other with an 'oh fuck what did we do' look but followed their coach into the office. Andy and Theo took the seats in front of their coach's desk.
"Yes coach?" Andy asked politely.
"I want you two to know about something." Andy and Theo shared a nervous look with each other. "Oh sorry. Nothing bad. It's quite good actually." Their coach quickly added. Andy and Theo visibly relaxed. "A few scouts are coming to the game tonight to see you play. I've also received calls from the national team. They are also sending scouts." Their coach paused to let the girls take in this information. "They will also be here tonight." Andy couldn't help the smile spreading across her face. "I assume you know that it doesn't matter that they are here. Tonight you play your game. The game you know and hopefully love. As long as you both play like yourselves tonight, the future will be in your hands." Assuming their coach was finished, Theo spoke up.
"Thank you so much coach." Theo said, Andy nodding in agreement. "We'll play our game." Their coach nodded in approval and sent them off to begin to get ready for the game.
*****
"Alright mini Morgan." Andy said to her best friend, patting her on the back.
"Will you ever stop calling me that?" Theo asked as they walked onto the field, rolling her eyes in the process.
"No! You play just like her T. And you share the same last name." Andy stated, knowing her best friend shared a last name with her idol. "You may not look alike but that doesn't matter." Andy smiled smugly, earning a light shove from her best friend.
"Well I may not look like THE Alex Morgan but you look exactly like THE Tobin Heath." It was Andy's turn to roll her eyes. "Play like her too."
"Hey if we get called up, maybe we'll meet them and play with them." Andy said. "But let's not think about any of that tonight." Theo nodded in agreement. She was about to give a pep talk but decided to save it for the team.
The team huddled up after warming up and the captains began their speeches. "Ok. Tonight is a big night for some of us." Andy began. "Juniors and seniors have a chance to show scouts what their made of. Freshmen and sophomore's, you show them that it'll be worth coming back in a few years to check you out. But you have to push all of that away." Andy finished, looking to Theo to continue.
"Tonight you play like a regular game. But also a game like you've never played before. Like a championship game. Forget about the scouts and just play your game. Don't be fancy. Don't think about it. Just play your game. These are our ultimate rivals. They beat us up every year. They may beat us up tonight." Theo said, looking around at her teammates. "But who always comes out on top?" Theo smiled as her team nodded. She put her hands in the middle, the team following suit. "Family on three. One! Two! Three! Family!" The starters jogged out onto the field, forgetting who was here to see them as they focused in on the game that was about to begin. Andy and Theo linked arms and did their little jump on the field before sprinting to their spots.
*****
The score was 0-0 and with 1 minute left on the clock, Kate, a defender, passed the ball up to Andy. She sprinted after the ball, looking up to see Theo and Grace, another forward, running into the box. She lofted the ball up but just as it was about to reach Theo, the keeper jumped up and punched the ball over the crossbar and out for a corner kick.
36 seconds left...
Andy raced to retrieve the ball and set it up for the corner.
24 seconds left...
Andy raised her hand signaling to her teammates who scattered themselves in the box.
16 seconds left...
Andy rushed forward, connecting her foot with the ball, lofting it perfectly into the box.
12 seconds left...
The ball hit the opposing team but they failed to clear it properly and it dropped to the feet of Theo.
5 seconds left...
Just as Theo was about to take her shot, a defender came in and took her feet out from underneath her, missing the ball entirely, with no time left on the clock. But that did not stop the ref from blowing the whistle just milliseconds before the buzzer would go off. He stopped play and pointed to the spot in the box. The stands erupted in cheers as they knew who was about to take her shot to attempt to bring them the win.
"ANDERSON LEVI HEATH, NUMBER 17, WILL TAKE THE PENALTY KICK TO TRY AND GIVE THE HAWKS THE WIN." The student announcer said over the speaker system.
The ref handed Andy the ball. She walked up to the spot and put the ball down. She took her steps back and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and all of the sounds disappeared. She pictured herself with Theo at the training fields. Just you, me and the ball. Theo would say. The ref blew the whistle and brought Andy back to reality. She found the ball with her eyes and watched the keeper. The keeper was in the goal slightly to the right indicating she was going that way. She watched the keepers body language to make sure and saw her right leg holding most of her weight and placed slightly in front of her left. She found the ball again and jogged towards the ball. When her foot connected with the ball, it seemed as if it was going in slow motion. But when Andy saw out of the corner of her eye the keeper going the way she predicted and the ball going the opposite way, everything picked up pace again. The ref blew the whistle signaling a goal as the ball hit the back of the net.
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CHASING GOLD: World Cup
FanfictionAndy was your average high school student. She played soccer, did well in school had crushes etc. She wasn't just like everyone one though. Her mother was Tobin Heath. She doesn't know that, though. She's bounced around foster home after foster home...
